You Might Not Be A Threat?
by Iron Robin
Summary: Tony has to come to terms with the fact that he can't solve everything. And he finds reassurance in an unexpected place. (One-shot. Takes place after Cap 2. No slash.)


**I know some of you are waiting on Nicolas F. Avenge High, but I'm taking a break from that to write a few other ideas I've had running around for a while. Keep your eyes open for a one-shot involving Hawkeye on a refrigerator. But I digress.**

**I hope you enjoy this one-shot!**

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><p>Hydra taking over S.H.I.E.L.D, the organization his father had founded.<p>

The Helicarriers, the very machines that he'd helped upgrade, targeting threats. Himself included.

Capsicle..._Steve_...nearly dying.

Everything came as something of a rush to Tony Stark. After all, he'd been debriefed on all of it while waiting for his...whatever Cap was (comrade, friend?)...to wake up. He'd relieved a tired looking Sam Wilson from his post beside the bed after a bit...okay, a _lot_...of urging.

Now, Tony sat in the same chair, still warm from Falcon's body heat, reading the files on the latest catastrophe. His chocolate brown eyes scanned the S.H.I.E.L.D-pad , a look of shock and anger in his gaze.

How could this have happened? He'd _just _saved the world from the Extremis soldiers, and now this? Not to mention that he'd been powerless to do anything, having destroyed his many suits of armor. Then you took into account how he'd suggested the repulsor technology engines for the new Helicarriers, and...Well, Tony had every right to feel as guilty as he did.

And then, yeah, he'd been _targeted_ by the freaking things! How was he supposed to ignore _that _little detail? It all left him with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and a bucket load of bad memories.

Speaking of which, before he could stop himself, Tony's mind dragged him back to the events of the last few hours.

_"Afternoon, honey," he says, stepping up behind Pepper to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "Working hard?"_

_She smiles up at him, but it seems forced. "As always."_

_Tony notices the way her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes and he instantly feels worry surge through him. "What's wrong?"_

_She sighs, shaking her head. "I never could get anything past you."_

_"Answer the question, Pep," he returns, putting a commanding tone in his voice._

_Pepper sets her papers down, spinning around on the kitchen stool to face him. "I was just thinking about how you got rid of your suits for me."_

_Tony frowns, an eyebrow making its way up his forehead. "Yeah...I thought you liked that."_

_"I did...do!" she corrects herself. "But I can't help but think...What if something happens? What if you get hurt because you don't have a way to defend yourself?"_

_He's almost wounded at the suggestion. "You don't think I can take care of myself without Iron Man?"_

_"Of course you can!" Pepper says immediately, reaching out to clasp one of his hands in her own. "That's not what I meant."_

_Tony lets out a slow sigh. "I know. But there's no going back now."_

_Truth be told, he missed his armor. Not that he'd ever tell Pepper that. Though, she probably already knew._

_She squeezes his hand, forcing another smile. "I worry about you. And I thought maybe...maybe you could make one more suit of armor. Just in case."_

_He can practically feel his eyes light up like a kid's on Christmas Day at the notion. "You mean it?"_

_Pepper gets to her feet, nodding. "I do. But don't-" she breaks off, her cerulean blue eyes widening at something on his chest._

_"What?" Tony asks, joking. "Did I spill coffee on my shirt again?"_

_She shakes her head, taking a step back. "Tony...Tony, what do we do?"_

_Confusion and concern weave their way through his entire being to replace his previously teasing demeanor as he glances down. His girlfriend's source of terror is justified when he finds a bright red target made of light shining on his chest._

_"What do we do?" Pepper repeats, obviously trying to keep her voice calm, but she couldn't stop it from trembling._

_Fear seizes Tony's heart in its icy grip as he realizes he's doomed. There's no equation, no problem he can solve. There's no armor to save him. There's only him, whatever wants him gone, and death._

_"Stark," Pepper says suddenly, sharply. Funny she almost sounds like Cap. "Stark, snap out of it. Can you hear me? You need to breathe."_

_Something in the voice calms him and Tony obeys, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Instantly, he feels the memory fading._

Tony's eyes flew open to find a stern as ever (but maybe a little worried) Captain America staring at him from the hospital bed.

"What are you looking at?" Tony snapped, hating how his voice shook.

Steve hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing. I was wondering what you're doing here?"

"Being scrutinized by you, apparently," Tony muttered, making a move to rise to his feet.

He froze midstand at Cap's, "No, wait. I'm...sorry. Thank you for coming."

Tony sat back down while flashing a wry grin. "I didn't know I was attending a meeting. You can drop the formal, polite tone with me, Rogers."

Steve almost managed a smile at that, but he grimaced at the pain even a small act of movement caused.

"Hey, you okay?" Tony asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He didn't want old Capsicle thinking he might actually _like _him. (Because he most definitely _didn't,_ of course.)

"I'm fine."

"No offense, but you could be pinned under the Hulk's butt and you'd still insist you were fine."

That drove a low chuckle out of Steve and Tony tried hard to hide his astonishment. Cap? Laughing at one of his jokes? The world might as well have imploded right there.

"You're no better, Stark. Weren't you the one who supposedly came back from the dead talking about Shawarma?"

Tony lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "Sure. But in my defense, dying can really give a guy an appetite."

Steve merely shook his head again, this time in tolerance rather than dismissal. "You never answered my original question," he said, abruptly changing the subject.

"What question? The one about what I'm doing here?"

"Last I heard, you'd hunkered down with your girlfriend after giving up the mantle of Iron Man."

A brief flare of pain struck Tony at the words finally being spoken. Those words about not being Iron Man anymore. No one had outright said it yet. Leave it to Cap not to dance around the subject. (Although, he was surprised it hadn't been Barton or Romanoff.)

"Earth to Stark! You still with me?"

Tony shook his head to clear it and focused his gaze on Steve. "Yeah. I'm not here because I care about you, so don't get any ideas."

"Wouldn't dream of it." The hidden light in Steve's eyes told a different story, however.

Tony inwardly cursed. This was _not _going to turn into a love fest if he had anything to say about it. As far as he was concerned, Rogers was still as annoying as before. (Even if it was easier to cope with now.)

"Listen, Tony, there's something I need to tell you," Cap went on, snapping him out of his reverie.

Instant doubt flew through Tony at the use of his first name and the cautious tone in the Captain's voice. This didn't bode well.

"Right. Before you break the news about your puppy dying," he started, trying to keep his voice light, "there's something I need to say to you, too."

Curiosity flickered in Steve's light blue eyes. "What's that?"

"I...I'm..." Tony had to physically force the words that didn't come easily to him out. "I'm sorry."

The curiosity morphed into confusion. "For what?"

"For helping Hydra," he blurted, everything flowing out like the dam holding in his anguish had broken. "I never would've upgraded the Helicarriers if I'd known S.H.I.E.L.D had been compromised."

"Stark..."

"They probably wouldn't have been able to target millions of people if it hadn't been for me! It's kind of ironic, really. I help Hydra, they try to kill me." The sentence slipped out before he could stop it.

Steve's eyebrows knitted together in a frown. (As if he cared about Stark. What was up with that?) "All those threats. You were one of them?"

Tony shrugged uncomfortably. He hadn't meant to tell Cap that. No need to burden the man more.

"No one blames you," Steve said softly after a moment of silence. "It's not your fault, Stark. There's no way you could've known about Hydra."

"Maybe not. But it's not a pleasant feeling to see part of your father's legacy turn out to be a terrorist organization."

"About that," Cap said, suddenly looking as uncomfortable as Tony felt. "What I need to tell you? It's about your parents."

The way he said those few words sent chills running down Tony's spine. It took every ounce of his strength to keep from shuddering. "My parents?"

Steve was silent for several seconds, but it felt like hours. "I have reason to believe that Hydra caused their deaths."

The brief statement was like an iron spike in Tony's heart. Part of him wanted to feel nothing. After all, it wasn't like they had raised him. His father had sent him off to boarding school at a young age. But as much as he wanted to be unfazed, it was impossible.

His parents, the ones who'd gone on a business trip and promised to be back soon. The ones who'd died and left him with none other than his future enemy, Obadiah Stane. He'd never forget the day the police had shown up at his door saying, "I'm sorry, son."

Hydra. _Hydra_ had done this to his parents, to_ him. _It probably shouldn't have been surprising, but it left him with an emptiness even deeper than that of the original disaster.

A gentle voice interrupted his despair. "Tony?"

Tony shook off the darkness that threatened to consume him and said with a calmness born with years of practice, "I'm okay. How'd you figure this out?"

Steve looked skeptical, as if he didn't appreciate the walls Tony put up. "Arnim Zola. He mentioned accidents happening and showed the newspaper article about the late Starks' deaths while he did."

"That's enough proof for me," Tony muttered, getting to his feet.

"Whoa, hold on. Where are you going?"

"I need to hit something and if I stay here any longer it'll probably be you."

In reality, Tony just wanted to get out of there so that Steve didn't see him break down. What he _really _wanted to do was scream and smash things, not unlike the Hulk. (He'd rather whale away on Hydra, but that was out of the question. He'd probably have to settle with a punching bag.)

Steve didn't seem to know how to reply, but he stopped Tony right before he left the room. "Tony?"

"What?" he bit out, exasperation lacing his tone. He hadn't been kidding about hitting the Captain.

"I know we've never gotten along very well, but I want you to know that if you ever need anything, I'll be there for you."

The sincerity in the words made Tony freeze in his tracks. No one had ever said something that nice to him before and meant it. It was funny how one simple sentence could take away some of the darkness inside.

He had to swallow the lump forming in his throat to say, "Thanks, Steve. We're not going to have to hug it out now, are we?"

Steve actually laughed, obviously relieved that Stark was still himself. "Get out of here."

Tony smirked and lifted a hand in a two-fingered salute. "Aye aye, Cap'n."

With that, he strode out the door without another word, but he could feel Cap's gaze burning into him as he left.

Maybe he hadn't been able to stop the deaths of his parents. Maybe he hadn't been able to help take down Hydra. But he found that he was okay with that. Because as long as the world had Captain America, it wouldn't need Iron Man. And as long as Tony had Steve...well...

As long as Tony had Steve, he had a friend who would make sure he didn't have to solve everything on his own.


End file.
